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Thera 2.3: Valliya
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(123):Valliya Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =123. Valliya1= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī as the son of an eminent brahmin(priest), he was named Valliya. While adolescent and in the power of the senses, he formed virtuous friendships, by which he came to the Exalted One(Buddha), found faith and entered the Monk’s order, soon thereafter establishing insight and winning arahantship(enlightenment). Reflecting on the past with its worldly objects and desires, and on how, by the Ariyan Path, he now had turned from all that, he thus declared aññā(supreme attainment): ---- 125 Makkaṭo pañcadvārāyaɱ kuṭikāyaɱ pasakkiya,|| Dvārena anupariyeti ghaṭṭayento muhuɱ muhuɱ.|| || 126 Tiṭṭha makkaṭa mā dhāvi nahi te taɱ yathā pure,|| Niggahītosi paññāya neva1 dūraɱ gamissasī' ti.|| || ---- 125 Within the little five-doored hut an ape2 Did prowl, and round and round from door to door He hies, rattling with blows again, again. 126 Halt, ape! run you not forth! for you it is not in this as it was wont to be. Reason did hold you captive. Never more Shall roam far hence freedom as of yore. ---- 1 Cf., LIII., and CXLIV. 2 Chitta (consciousness), is, in the Saɱyutta Nikāya (ii.9), pictured as tbe restless, varying leaps of a tree-monkey. The Commentary applies this simile to the present one of the ape under control. The ape is found in Tibetan drawings of the stages of (past, present, and future) life as the symbol of viññāṇa, the synonym for consciousness, or sense-cognition (see JRAS, 1894, p. 367 ff. Apparently the Tibetan lamas had forgotten the tradition, or gave an explanation which they knew would interest their medical interlocutor, Major Waddell, or the latter evolved a Western interpretation out of their imperfectly understood descriptions). Cf. verse 1111 in Ps. CCLXII. ---- =2.1-3 123 Commentary on the stanza of Valliyatthera= The stanza starting with makkaṭo pañcadvārāyaṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Valliya. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence was reborn in a family home in the thirty first aeon (kappa) previous to the present. On having attained the age of intelligence, he, one day, went to the forest on a certain business. There, happened to see a silent buddha, named Nārada, dwelling at the foot of a tree, became pious-minded, built a hall (sālā) with reeds (naḷa), roofed it (chādetvā) with grass (tina) and offered (it to him). Having cleansed the site for a cloister-walk (caṅkamanaṭṭhāna) as well, he strewed sand, and offered (the same to him). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths, among divine and human beings, and was reborn as the son of an abundantly wealthy brahmin, in Sāvatthi, when this Buddha arose. His name was Valliya. On coming of age, he accordingly attained youthfulness (yobbana), became subject to his controlling faculties (indriyavasiko) and wandering about, approached the Blessed One, woing to his association with good friends (kalyānamittasaṃsaggena), listened to the truth (dhamma), aptly gained pious faith became a monk, placed himself in the path of developing (spiritual insight) and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “Not far from Himavanta, was a hill named Hārita; a self-become silent buddha named Nārada, dwelt at that time at the foot of a tree. Having built a reed residence I roofed (it) with grass; having swept clean (sodhayitvāna) a cloister-walk (caṅkama) I offered it to the self- become silent buddha. On account of that deed well-done with volition (cetanā) and resolution (panid- hīhi), I forsook my human body and went to Tāvatiṃsa heaven. There, for me a mansion was made well, a reed cottage created, sixty leagues (yojana) high and thirty leaques across (vitthataṃ). For fourteen aeons (kappa) I enjoyed myself in the divine world. Seventy one times I exercised divine sovereignty. Thirtyfour times, I was a world-king. Bountiful (vipulaṃ) was my regional reign, numerically incalculable. Having ascended the spiritual palace (dhammapāsāda) resembling (upamaṃ) all manners (ākāra) of excellence (vara). I dwell (there) as long as I liked in the dispensation of the Sākiyan Son. It was in the thirty first aeon (kappa) previous to the present, that I then did the deed. I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of reed residence (naḷakuṭi). My depravity had been burnt. :P; Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke two stanzas in order to make manifest his Arahantship (aññā) by revealing (vibhāvanena) the condition of having suppressed (niggahita) at the present moment by means of the noble (ariya) right path (magga) the occurrences (pavattiyā) according to (his) desires (yathākāma) in sich sense-objects (ārammanesu) as physical forms of beauty (rūpa) and so on, of his own mind at the time when he was one of the common folks (puthujjana). 125. This monkey, having gone forth (pasakkiya) all over the five- doored hut-body (kuṭikāyaṃ), goes all-round accordingly (anupāriyesi) causing impact (ghaṭṭayanto) monent after moment (muhuṃ). 126. Stand still (tiṭṭha) O monkey! Do not run about (dhāvi); indeed, for you, it is not like before; you have been kept under (niggahito) by means of (my) wisdom (paññā); you shall not go afar either. There, gahaṭṭayanto means: Like unto a fruit-enjoying monkey who keeps on shaking the tree owing to the condition of its own unsteady greed (lola), after releasing one branch and seizing another several times there, (the mind) wanders about according as it desires, it keeps on turning all round (anuparivattati) in that self-same such object of sense (ārammane) as visible forms (rūpa) and so on, constantly (abhikkhanaṃ) without allowing (appadānena) to stand still (niccalaṃ) by way of acquiring (samādāna) the continuity of consciousness (cittasantāna), releasing one and seizing another, out of such sense-objects as visible forms (rūpa) and so on by such a door as that eye-door and so on. Here is present-tense statement because of nearness to the currently present (vattamāna). Going about (anupariyanto) in this manner, tiṭṭha makkaṭa mādhāvi (O mind-monkey! You should now stand still, do not do any running); from now onwards you cannot possibly run; thererfore, na hi te taṃ yathā pure, means: since that body-house (attabhāvagehaṃ) is not to be made use of (sevita) by you similar to what you did before, owing to the state of closed-door; why? Niggahito’si paññāya (you have become completely (accantikaṃ) controlled (niggahaṃ) with the cutting away of your feet reckoned as the doing (abhisaṅkhāra) of depravity (kilesa) by means of the wisdom of the right-path (magga) now, all by myself; therefore, n’eva duraṃ gamissadi, he shows thus: - your going is but as far as the last stage (carimaka) of mind; you shall not but go from this existence (attabhāva) after to such an existence as the second and so on. There is such a reading as “Neto dūraṃ,” also; the meaning is but the same. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Valliya is complete. ----